The foreign secretary has accused the Taliban of “trying to erase women from society in Afghanistan” after its ban on female NGO workers forced aid agencies to pull out.

James Cleverly said every person in Afghanistan would suffer as a result of the policy as he urged the regime to change its mind.

Humanitarian officials have warned that excluding women from non-governmental organisation (NGO) work will have catastrophic consequences for the population by depriving them of lifesaving assistance.

Some have already suspended work in Afghanistan as a result of the ban, which came days after the Taliban banned Afghan women from higher education.

The United Nations’ top official in Kabul met a Taliban minister on Monday to discuss the ruling and its damage to humanitarian relief efforts.

The foreign secretary said on Twitter: “The Taliban are trying to erase women from society in Afghanistan.

“Banning women from working for NGOs will prevent millions of Afghans from accessing life-saving aid and supplies. This will impact everyone.

“The Taliban must urgently reverse this decision.”

The widely condemned measure, the latest of many restrictions on women’s rights under the Taliban, was announced on Saturday by Qari Din Mohammed Hanif, the economy minister.

It was imposed because some female NGO employees in Afghanistan were allegedly wearing the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, incorrectly.

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Ramiz Alakbarov, acting head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, met Mr Hanif on Monday and called for a reversal of the ban.

Before the ban, international aid agencies including Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Norwegian Refugee Council and Care had been providing fundamental services as living conditions worsened.

David Miliband, the former foreign secretary who now heads up the IRC, said its female staff were “a lifeline for millions of clients and we cannot work without them”.

Christian Aid said it had paused work while it sought clarity over the announcement, and urged the Taliban to reverse the ban.

“Imposing a ban on female aid workers will only curtail our ability to help the growing number of people in need, and risks compounding the dire humanitarian crisis that women and girls face,” Ray Hasan from Christian Aid said.

Islamic Relief is temporarily suspending non-lifesaving activities in the country, though will continue with healthcare deemed lifesaving.

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